A low point for SA journalism

The admission that the SABC sells interviews without telling the audience ranks among the lowest points in SA journalism’s 200-year history, according to Professor Anton Harber, a leading media academic and former editor, in an analysis on the Daily Maverick site. He notes Minister Bathabile Dlamini admitted paying the SABC for an interview last year in the middle of crucial ANC leadership battles, describing this as routine practice and ‘an investment in the public broadcaster’ for which she would not apologise. What she has done, says Harber, is destroy the public broadcaster’s journalistic credibility, undermined its integrity, and compromised its professionalism. She has certainly destroyed the credibility of SABC’s Real Talk show and its presenter Anele Mdoda. Even if Mdoda was not instructed to go soft on Dlamini, who was after all a client rather than an interviewee, her credibility is blown, argues Harber, adding: ‘To run a paid-for interview with a politician is dubious at all times, but especially in the middle of a major leadership battle. To do so without telling the audience is in contravention of every principle of journalism, every code of conduct, every professional rule – including the SABC’s own editorial charter, the industry code and the Broadcasting Act, which commits the SABC to the highest editorial and journalistic standards. To spend public money to do this must also raise questions under the Public Finance Management Act.’ Harber argues her action has encouraged an official form of the ‘brown envelope journalism’, which he says has been the scourge of African journalism. This practice of paying for news coverage – often in the form of a ‘travel allowance’ – has destroyed the credibility and standing of journalists in a number of countries. He points out there are places in Africa where journalists will not cover a press conference unless they get a brown envelope on arrival. It is done by businesses and politicians, 'but I have never heard of it before as official, above-the-table government policy. This is now a South African innovation'.

* Dlamini's spokesperson Lumka Oliphant, who organised the interview, has taken exception to Harber's view and has defended her action in a lengthy Facebook response. She says she did nothing wrong and derides the hypocrisy of the media criticism.

Full analysis on the Daily Maverick site

Oliphant's response